Iraq: Government To Be Formed In 1 Month – Kurdish LeaderNovember 11, 2010The president of Iraq’s Kurdistan region, Massoud Barzani, said on Nov. 11 that a new government will be formed in a month, considering that the distribution of positions between the political blocs was equitable, al Sumaria News reported.

Iraq: List Of Government Nominations Presented At ParliamentNovember 11, 2010A list of government nominations was presented at the Nov. 11 Iraqi parliamentary session, comprising members from a number of religious and political, Al Jazeera reported. The nominations include: Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, for president; Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite from the National Alliance, for prime minister; Tariq al-Hashmi, a Sunni from the al-Iraqiya List, for vice president; Osama al-Nujaifi, a Sunni from the al-Iraqiya List, for speaker of the parliament; Qusai Abdulwahab al-Sahil, a Shiite from National Alliance for first deputy parliament speaker; Arif Tayfour, a Kurd, for second deputy parliament speaker; Iyad Allawi, a secular Shiite from the al-Iraqiya List, for director of the National Council for Strategic Policies; and Saleh al-Mutlaq, a Sunni from the al-Iraqiya List, for foreign minister.

Iraq: Parliament Speaker ElectedNovember 11, 2010Iraqi Sunni lawmaker Osama al-Nujaifi, a member of the al-Iraqiya List, has been elected speaker of the parliament, Reuters reported Nov. 11.

Iraq: Deputy Parliament Speakers Elected November 11, 2010The Iraqi parliament has officially elected Qusai Abdul-Wahab of the National Alliance as first deputy parliament speaker and Arif Tayfour of the Kurdistan Alliance as second deputy parliament speaker, Al Jazeera reported Nov. 11.

Iraq: Talabani To Remain PresidentNovember 11, 2010Current Iraqi President Jalal Talabani did not receive the 75 percent of the vote necessary to win the first round of presidential voting, but the opposing candidate withdrew from the second round of voting, leaving Talabani as president, Al Jazeera reported Nov. 11.

Iraq: Al-Iraqiya List Withdraws From Political ProcessNovember 11, 2010Iraqi political party al-Iraqiya List refuses to participate in a government that lacks trust between the parties, and it has withdrawn from the political process, party spokesman Haider Mulla said Nov. 11, Al Sumaria News reported. During a news conference after al-Iraqiya lawmakers walked out of the parliament, Mulla said the party cannot reach a deal with a government that found political agreement via coup.

Iraq: Al-Iraqiya Mostly Absent As Talabani ElectedNovember 11, 2010Most al-Iraqiya List parliamentarians, including leader Iyad Allawi and former Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, were absent as Jalal Talabani of the Kurdistan Alliance was officially elected to remain president of Iraq in the second round of voting, Kurdistan TV reported Nov. 11.